Conventional leveling feet are screwed into the bottom of an appliance and are independently adjusted to level the appliance when it is installed at a particular location. Typically, each leveling foot is a unitary piece of plastic that includes a base that rests on a floor and an externally threaded body that is screwed into an underside of an appliance. The threaded interface typically includes a helical impression specified by a manufacturer to ensure optimal performance. An exemplary leveling foot is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,431, entitled “Furniture Leveling Foot And System.”
Leveling feet may be used with washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerators, and various other appliances. Washing machines, for example, include internal components that spin at rates in excess of 1,000 revolutions per minute. The combination of the high spin rate and load imbalances may vibrate the washing machine and produce noise due to the vibration. For example, if a washing machine is not properly leveled, operation of the washing machine causes the washing machine to vibrate and produce loud noises.
Typical washing machines are leveled using threaded feet that screw into a weld nut on the bottom of the washing machines. In particular, one foot is securely positioned proximate each corner of a washing machine. Ideally, each foot is adjusted by a consumer or installer until the bottom of the washing machine resides in a level plane. After the feet are adjusted, a locknut is secured to each foot to prevent loosening.
Unfortunately, however, the leveling procedure described above is rarely followed. The leveling process is an extremely tedious procedure. For example, a consumer or installer needs to adjust the rear feet of the washing machine, which are typically close to a wall. In order to gain access to these rear feet, the consumer or installer needs to move the heavy, cumbersome washing machine away from the wall. Consequently, a typical washing machine is rarely moved to adjust the rear feet for leveling purposes.
Thus, a need exists for a leveling foot assembly that dampens vibration and provides automatic adjustment.